Blossoming
by Sienna Rain
Summary: Talia Yamazaki is painfully shy because of her father's beatings. But when Kakashi Hatake comes to take her to Konoha, what will she do? Meeting new people is hard, talking to them is even harder, and she doesn't even know what the hell a Shinobi is. Everything seems to be falling apart, but when she meets HIM... everything suddenly becomes worth it. Rated T for swearing. KibaxOC.
1. Relocation

Chapter 1: Relocation

"_Get the hell back here!"_

Talia Yamazaki's father called drunkenly.

After her mother had died, Talia noticed that her father had become heartbroken, and all he did was drink his problems away. But when he did… she always ended up paying for it.

He usually beat her when he was drunk, but today seemed different. He had had three more beers than normal, and had already punched four holes in the wall from missing her head.

"_I've gotta get out of here,"_ was all that was on the small girl's mind.

Even though she was sixteen, she was only five feet tall and eighty pounds. Talia never liked these beatings, and they always came at the most unexpected times, so she couldn't avoid them.

Running upstairs to her room, she locked the door behind her, buying some time. The drunken man stumbled outside of the door noticeably, and it gave Talia time to think; do I wait out the beating, or do I jump out of the window?

"_I'm not going through this anymore."_

Talia opened her window, which was only a story high, thankfully, and jumped out of it, running down the street as fast as she could.

He wasn't following her, and she ran to her only safe haven; a place she called The Agency.

The Agency was more or less a place where people with similar problems went to get out of their houses so they could relocate you, and ever since Talia had sent in her request two years ago, she had waited until they said she could go somewhere else.

Stumbling into the doorway, she walked up to the lady at the front desk.

"Good news, Ms. Talia," the familiar lady smiled to her. "We've found somewhere where you can be transferred to."

That news was nothing but music to her ears.

"When will I be leaving?"

Her voice met her own ears, but it was almost as if it was afraid, but she wasn't.

"Whenever you want to. Don't ask about the location; we aren't allowed to disclose anything about it. You'll find out soon enough when you get there."

Talia just nodded, "Thank you. Am I allowed to depart right now?"

The lady smiled and nodded.

"Whenever you're ready. Are you sure you don't want all of your belongings…?"

"I'm fine as I am."

Without another word, the lady led her to a small room where an unfamiliar man was standing.

"_Who is he? And why does he look like he's been expecting me or something?"_

"Hello. My name is Kakashi Hatake and I'm here to… well… take you under my wing to a happier place. I'm not allowed to disclose any details until we get there, so just sit tight and we'll be on our way."

Talia wasn't afraid of this man… but she was apprehensive about the way he looked and dressed. His hair was unnaturally long for someone who had grey hair, but he looked fairly young.

All she could do was nod as he led her out of the building and into the street.

After a moment of walking, he stopped and turned to her, his face covered by a blue mask and one of his eyes was covered by a strange-looking headband.

"I was also told that I'm not exactly allowed to show you how we get to and from here… so if you'll look into my eye for a moment…"

Not knowing what this meant, Talia stared at his face as he removed the headband and opened his eye that appeared to be red, but she thought she must have imagined it as everything faded away. Her muscles seemed to relax, and everything turned black as if she had fallen asleep.

Only seeming like moments later, Talia opened her eyes to an unfamiliar housing.

"Ah, I see you're awake."

Talia brushed her medium-length black hair out of her face as she took in the man who was sitting on a nearby couch.

"Where am I?" She asked, sitting up.

"You're in Konoha. You'll be living with me, due to orders from Lady Tsunade, and… well, there's a problem with that. You see… I have to go on a mission that will probably take about a day or two…"

"_Mission?"_

Talia was confused. What was a mission? Why did he have to go? What did he have to do?

Kakashi stared at her, his normal eye widening.

"You mean… you don't know what a Shinobi is?"

She shook her head; where she came from, everything was normal. But here, in Konoha apparently, everything was screwed up.

Kakashi went on, "So… you don't know what I am. I am a ninja."

"_Ninja…? Just what is UP with Konoha? Why is everything so… messed up?"_

Talia thought to herself, and Kakashi continued, "Many people in this village are ninja. You can probably point them out by what they wear or their headbands."

His free eye wandered to where his own headband was covering his other eye and he went on.

"I suggest that while I'm gone, you get to know other people in the village. But I won't tell you who I know; it'll be easier for you to structure your own bonds without the influence of others around you."

His free eye closed as if he was trying to smile, but with the mask it was hard to tell as he said;

"It's three in the afternoon here, contrary to almost midnight where you previously lived. The time jump is ridiculous, I know. The ANBU Black Ops collected your clothes when they heard that you were coming, so everything is unpacked upstairs already. Have fun."

Kakashi seemed to smile as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"_Can people even DO that?!"_

Talia asked herself as she wondered if it was real or not. But a movement outside of the window caused her to shuffle toward it, and when she peered outside, there were multiple people walking around.

"Meeting new people…" She wondered aloud. "Is it really as easy as it sounds?"

Yeah, yeah. I know that for a starting chapter, it's pretty mediocre. :( But hey, a character's traits can't be explained in one chapter… can they? D: Anyway, rate/review!


	2. Ramen

_Flashback:_

"_Meeting new people…" She wondered aloud. "Is it really as easy as it sounds?"_

Chapter 2: Ramen

I adventured out of Kakashi's house, completely in awe at how beautiful Konoha was.

"_Where IS this place? It's beautiful…"_

I kept walking around, until I passed a dumpling shop. I couldn't help but look in, and I saw nothing but empty tables.

"_I wish I had some money so I could eat here. It looks so peaceful-"_

"Are you hungry or something?"

A voice pierced the quiet air next to me and I turned to see a man who was significantly taller than me, wearing a green vest with a scar across his nose and his brown hair in a ponytail. His voice was particularly friendly, and I almost wanted to trust him automatically.

"_Trusting people is what gets you hurt…"_

I stared at him and started backing away.

"What…? Did I sneak up on you or something? If so, I'm sorry…"

I couldn't find my voice to answer him, and I began backing away a few more steps until my feet carried me down a vacant road.

"Who was that guy?"

I asked herself quietly, unable to fight the painful feeling of shyness that had arisen within me.

I felt my feet carry me down the street, where I was met with a tall building. It was almost round-shaped and red in hue, but it seemed to be the center of Konoha.

"_What is that place?"_

I stared at it for a while, and felt another presence behind me. Turning around, I met the eyes of the same man who had been standing next to me only moments earlier.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you earlier. Kakashi sent me here to keep you busy today."

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

"_Say something, Talia!"_

I begged myself mentally, but the more I tried, the less confident I became and tears collected in my eyes.

The man's friendly face smiled at me and he held out a hand.

"You're shy, aren't you?"

I felt my heart skip two beats and come back beating even faster. The less that I seemed to answer, he more he seemed to understand and smile.

"Well, if that's the case, I guess it's time we get acquainted. I wanna take you to my favorite place to relax."

He took my hand, and at first, I felt nothing but fear.

"_What's he going to do to me?! Hurt me? Hit me?"_

But he smiled and we began walking out of the alleyway and, as we did so, he dropped my hand.

"Are you hungry?"

Honestly, I could barely nod as suspicions took over my mind.

"_Where's he REALLY taking me? Hmm?"_

He laughed, "Well then, I'll explain everything when we get there."

Soon, people were able to be seen walking in and out of buildings, talking happily and laughing amongst themselves. This man and I only walked for about a minute or so, and we came up to a small stand with four seats.

He motioned for me to follow him inside, so I did, although I was still extremely skeptical.

"We'll take two Miso ramen."

Another man, cooking something in a pot, smiled and complied, messing with the noodles and another girl was making the other ingredients.

"Well, first off, my name is Iruka, and Kakashi told me to look after you and answer any questions you have. Obviously, he's told me all about you since he read your application sheet that you filled out two years ago."

I listened, closely, to this man, Iruka.

"_He… seems nice. Too nice for someone with an ulterior motive."_

Iruka continued, smiling yet again.

"I know why you're so shy, and it's because you're afraid people are going to hurt you. Not in Konoha; the people here, especially the kids, wouldn't do something like that."

He looked almost nostalgic as he laughed, scratching his cheek in an almost embarrassed fashion.

"I had a student… he's your age, actually. Maybe you'll meet him; he likes to eat here with me, too."

I finally felt my voice escape from my lips, small and nearly mute.

"Is he… is he nice?"

"Yeah! Although, when he was younger, he was always making trouble and messing around, but he's matured since then. I'd be surprised if you didn't meet him today or tomorrow… he's not hard to miss."

I stared at him; what could he mean by that?

"Here's your ramen, Iruka."

The man who had made the ramen handed me a bowl of ramen, and I picked up chopsticks, too afraid to ask for a fork because maybe they didn't have any, and began to eat.

Honestly, I had never used chopsticks before, and I've got to admit… I was a natural. It was easy, and before I knew it, the entire bowl was empty.

"_It has to have been forever since I've eaten ANYTHING…"_

But a voice interrupted the peace;

"Iruka-sensei! Could you treat me to some ra-?"

The boy who had been yelling stopped automatically when his eyes wandered to me.

This boy… he looked borderline ridiculous. Not that I keep up with trends or anything, but… I'm sure orange jumpsuits were _never_ in style. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, weird scratches on his cheeks that resembled whiskers, and had a happy-go-lucky attitude about him.

"Who is _that_, Iruka-sensei…?"

He pointed to me, and Iruka smiled at me before answering.

"This is Talia Yamazaki. She recently moved here to Konoha with Kakashi, and… since he's on a mission, I've been ordered to keep watch over her for now."

Iruka turned to me, smiling, "And this, Talia, is-"

"Naruto Uzumaki! My dream is to become the next Hokage! Believe it!"

"_Hokage…?"_

What the hell was that? Was it like, the President or something?

I stared at said Naruto for a moment, and felt my mouth finally open. "H…hi."

Naruto's eyebrows furrowed as he held out his hand to me. To my humiliation and uttermost hatred, I flinched out of habit.

"…What did I do?" Naruto asked, looking confused.

"_Stupid. That's what you are, stupid Talia."_

I was angry with myself. I try not to be shy, but it's as if it's impossible _not_ to be shy.

Iruka glanced at me, and then back to Naruto.

"She's a bit shy, Naruto."

Naruto sat down on her right side, and ordered some Miso ramen as well.

"Iruka-sensei, is this on _your_ tab?"

"…Fine." He muttered.

The odd blonde-haired boy smiled and giggled a bit.

"I've been training _all_ day! Ramen breaks are the _best_ part of training!"

It didn't add up. What was he training for? Did he run races or play a competitive sport?

I wanted to ask him, but my voice was lost to me again.

"…You really just _don't_ talk, do you?"

Naruto was staring at me.

I shook my head, biting my tongue and trying not to cry.

"_I hate being shy."_

He smiled at me and laughed, "You remind me of Hinata. She's shy, too, but not even _close_ to as shy as you."

All I could do was nod to agree with what he was saying.

"Talia,"

Iruka said my name, and I turned to him to see a smile on his face.

"Maybe Naruto will take you around to meet the others! I'm sure they'd all like to get to know you."

"_Others? There's more?"_

I turned my head to Naruto, who smiled at me just as his ramen was handed to him.

"Sure! It'll be a great break from training!"

He began to eat his ramen hurriedly, and I couldn't tear my eyes off of him for a moment.

"_How does he eat so fast…?"_

Iruka laughed, "You sure seem hungry, Naruto!"

I felt a faint smile come across my face as Naruto licked his lips and said,

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei! I'm gonna go introduce Talia to Sakura!"

Before I knew it, he pulled me out of my seat and was dragging me toward that big red building that I had seen earlier.

* * *

Short chapter, I know… I decided to make it in first person because it's easier to write! :) Heh, Rate/Review!


	3. Introductions

_Flashback:_

_I felt a faint smile come across my face as Naruto licked his lips and said,_

"_Thanks, Iruka-sensei! I'm gonna go introduce Talia to Sakura!"_

_Before I knew it, he pulled me out of my seat and was dragging me toward that big red building that I had seen earlier._

Chapter 3: Introductions

The red building kept getting closer and closer, and all I could feel was Naruto's tight hold on my hand. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't pull away.

"Talia, Sakura is… heh, well, I like her! She might always hit me and stuff, but it's usually because I say something that I shouldn't have. She's a medical ninja, and she works in the hospital as well as under Granny Tsunade, and she's my teammate!"

Naruto had said everything so fast; I couldn't even comprehend half of it.

"_Medical… ninja? Just what is UP with Konoha?!"_

We sped through the huge doors and he sprinted up a couple of stairs, leaving my legs a bit bruised, and stopped in front of a pink-haired girl.

"Sakura! This is Talia, and she's new to the village!"

The pink-haired girl turned around, her green eyes flashing.

"Naruto, I'm _working._"

I almost laughed when I saw her eyebrow twitch impatiently.

"But… Sakura! I'm showing her around and introducing her to people I know!"

Her green eyes turned to me, and I was surprised at how much taller she was than me.

"Oh… hi! I'm Sakura Haruno. It's nice to meet you."

She held out her hand to me, and again I disappointed myself by backing away a step. Sakura's mouth opened for a moment, but she took her hand away and her mouth curved up into a smile.

"She's pretty shy, Sakura…" Naruto muttered.

"Hmm… in a way, she reminds me of Hinata."

"That's what _I_ said!"

Sakura smiled again and turned away, walking down the long, spiraling hallway.

"I have to get back to work."

"Ok! Let's go see if we can find Bushy Brows!"

He grabbed my hand and dragged me down the steps again. Once we were outside, he turned to me.

"Hey… so, have you ever been here before?"

I shook my head, pulling my hand from his grasp.

Naruto laughed for a moment, "Oh yeah… you're shy… heh, so… do you know what the Hokage is?"

I shook my head, again, and his eyes widened.

"How about… a medical ninja?"

Again.

"A Shinobi?"

Again.

"Kunoichi?"

Every single question he asked me, I shook my head to.

"_Am I… supposed to know what these things are?"_

When the questionnaire was over, Naruto looked close to tears.

"A Shinobi is a ninja in general, a Kunoichi is a female ninja, a medical ninja is self-explanatory and the Hokage is the best ninja in this village! Currently, it's Granny Tsunade and… I'm going to be the sixth Hokage!"

It was so jumbled and incomprehensible… I probably couldn't understand it if I tried.

He dragged me at _least_ halfway across the village, or city, or whatever the hell Konoha was, and to a field with a river across the middle of it. It was actually kinda pretty to look at.

"Hey! Bushy Brows! Get over here!"

Naruto was yelling to a slim-looking guy in a green jumpsuit.

"_Do… all guys wear jumpsuits?"_

When the guy turned, I suddenly realized why Naruto had called him what he did; his eyebrows were _huge_.

"Naruto! Who is this that you have with you?"

His huge eyes were on me, and I shrank in my clothes. This one's appearance kind of scared me, honestly, and I couldn't do anything but stare back at him as his eyes dug into me.

"This is Talia! Be careful, though; she's pretty shy. Kakashi-sensei is taking care of her, but since he's out on a mission, it's Iruka-sensei for now! Talia,"

Naruto turned to me, motioning to the guy in the green jumpsuit.

"This is Bushy Brow!"

"…My name is Rock Lee, but most call me Lee."

He smiled a very bright smile, but I couldn't help but look away, and his hand flashed toward me, making me flinch and back away a step.

Lee's hand was only making a thumbs-up sign as he smiled, and Naruto shook his head.

"…I told you she's shy, Bushy Brow."

Lee stopped and smiled a _normal_ smile at me.

"I'm sorry. How about we settle this with a little training match to get acquainted?"

"_Training?!"_

My eyes widened, and Naruto must have seen it, because he grabbed me by my arm and spoke to Lee;

"No training. We've gotta go meet other people! See ya later!"

And we were running down the road again. I was exhausted though; I could _feel_ my lungs burning already, but Naruto didn't seem to notice as he sped through the streets.

"Woah, well if it isn't Naruto!"

A voice made my heart jump into my neck as Naruto stopped pulling me around and dropped my arm, turning to where the origin of the voice was coming from.

"Hey, guys! I'd like you to meet someone."

He glanced at me, and I tried to swallow my heart again as I stared back.

"_Why is it so hard to like people?"_

"This is Talia! She's new here, and I'm just showing her around."

There were three people in front of us, one with a jacket and a _huge_ dog, which didn't look harmful but it kind of intimidated me to say the least, a girl with long, shiny hair and white eyes, and a guy with glasses and a rather large trench coat on.

"Talia,"

Naruto had turned to me again, looking almost hopeful.

"This is Kiba and Akamaru," but he lowered his voice so only I could hear, "I think he's kinda annoying."

He gestured to the guy in the jacket, and he smirked and nodded at me. I don't know what it was, but I felt my heart jump. Not in the normal, panicky way that it does, but… in a surprised way. I decided to think nothing of it as he gestured to the girl.

"That's Hinata. I told you that you remind me of her because she used to be almost as shy as you are, but she's gotten better over the years."

Naruto smiled again and gestured to the last one.

"That's… um… what… um… what's your… name again…?"

The glasses-wearing guy looked pretty pissed off as he said;

"I'm Shino of the Aburame clan. Nice to make your acquaintance."

Naruto rubbed his head as he glanced at me, "There's still plenty of people that we've gotta meet. Heh, catch you later, guys!"

He grabbed my arm and began dragging me away and told me something quietly. Honestly, though, I'm kind of sorry to say that I wasn't really listening. The one in the jacket intrigued me. I wanted to know more.

* * *

Oh, oh, oh? xD This is coming along nicely. However, though, I'm sorry I haven't worked on any of my other stories despite my schedule! D: This story has been stuck in my head :( Rate/Review!


	4. Shyness

_Flashback:_

_Naruto rubbed his head as he glanced at me, "There's still plenty of people that we've gotta meet. Heh, catch you later, guys!"_

_He grabbed my arm and began dragging me away and told me something quietly. Honestly, though, I'm kind of sorry to say that I wasn't really listening. The one in the jacket intrigued me. I wanted to know more._

Chapter 4: Shyness

"Talia! What's up?!"

Naruto was trying to get my attention, but honestly, he couldn't keep it. I was too focused on thinking about the boy that I had just seen. I didn't know why; he didn't talk to me, I didn't talk to him.

"_What was that… emotion that I just felt?"_

I stared straight ahead, but oddly enough, it was as if I had tunnel vision. No matter how I tried to concentrate on something else, that boy always came to mind.

"_Stupid brain…"_

"Why don't we try talking to someone else? Like… like Shikamaru! I bet the lazy ass is sleeping somewhere!"

Before he could pull my hand wherever he wanted to go, I snatched it away.

"…Maybe… I could… walk by… by myself… th-this time?"

My wretched voice marred the air as I tried to speak, secretly cursing myself for it.

Naruto only glanced at me and smiled very widely.

"Ah, sure! Sorry about that!"

I walked beside him as we walked to a very normal-looking building. We walked all the way up some stairs and there was a sleeping guy on a chair.

"Shikamaru! Lazy ass! Get up!" Naruto's loud voice scared me, making me jump what seemed like half a mile.

The sleeping Shikamaru sat up, yawning.

"Naruto… what do you want?"

He went through the whole "This is Talia and I'm helping her meet more people" thing, and introduced this guy to me as Shikamaru.

"Nice to meet you." Shikamaru looked at me indifferently, and lied back down.

"Bastard."

Naruto muttered.

"Come on! We're going to go-" He didn't finish his sentence.

I was left confused as both Shikamaru and Naruto stared up at the sky at a bird.

"Lady Tsunade is summoning us… on such a nice day? Old hag… what does she want?!"

The orange one growled.

Shikamaru shrugged, "I don't know… better go see. It'd be our asses if we were late."

Naruto turned to me.

"Talia… I'll find you! Go do whatever you want; us _Shinobi_ have to take care of this!"

Before I could even remotely get the courage to ask any questions, Naruto had already begun jumping from building to building.

"…Showoff."

Shikamaru followed at a close pace.

Now that I was alone, I began to think to myself as I sat in the spot where Shikamaru was sleeping earlier.

"_A Shinobi… during that fast-paced talk, Naruto told me something about how Shinobi is a synonym for 'ninja'. So… everyone in Konoha is under the impression… that they're NINJAS?"_

My mind was being louder than normal, and it quieted down when I began walking down the steps.

Remembering the road that I had travelled down to get to Kakashi's place, I started that way when I heard a small voice.

"Hi!"

I stopped and turned around to see the girl with white eyes, flanked by the one with the dog and the jacket, as well as the trench coat guy with glasses.

"Lady Tsunade summoned us and told us to get acquainted, even if Naruto already helped…"

I tried not to look at the one in the jacket with the _huge_ dog, but it took a lot out of my energy. The white-eyed girl was still speaking;

"…My name is Hinata of the Hyuga clan, in case you've already forgotten."

The one with the jacket smirked.

"I'm Kiba Inuzuka, and this is my best friend, Akamaru."

I flinched when the dog barked what seemed like a greeting at me, and the trench coat-clad one adjusted his glasses.

"And I am Shino of the Aburame… your name is Talia Yamazaki, right?"

I nodded, astounded by his quick recognition of her so she didn't have to introduce herself.

"We were about to start some training. Wanna come watch?"

Hinata's smile was inviting, making me long to trust her automatically. Before I could make my mind up, the one in the jacket, Kiba, grabbed my arm, making me pull away.

"Doesn't matter what you say; we're still going-"

He stopped suddenly, but I didn't care. I couldn't. I was backing away, trying not to be grabbed suddenly anymore, when Shino spoke up.

"…Are you shy, Talia?"

"_His voice is kinda creepy…"_

I shivered in my clothes as his eyes, even though I couldn't see them, bore into me. He nodded and said,

"Kiba, next time, be more considerate…"

"How the hell was _I_ supposed to know she was so shy she could die?!"

I've gotta admit, I flinched at that one.

"_It's true, but I don't want it to be…"_

Hinata approached me first as she said, smiling another happy smile, "I used to be almost as shy as you were… but my friends helped me out, and I've gotten a lot less shy. Maybe we could help you, too."

I was grateful and relieved; maybe they knew some way to fix my shyness.

Shino turned the other way, "If we're going to train, let's go."

Kiba and Akamaru followed, and Hinata walked next to me.

"So, where are you from?"

The question pained me; the beatings I received… some of them were so bad, that I had received multiple concussions and some cases of amnesia, which cleared up in due time, but the one thing I never remembered was where I was from. I had tried to ask my dad, but only got hit for it.

Hinata was staring at me almost worriedly.

"…We're all friends here."

A voice that wasn't Hinata's could be heard from in front of me.

Shino hadn't turned around, but I knew that it was his voice.

"Don't creep her out yet, Shino."

Kiba's voice could also be heard.

"I… I don't know…"

I could speak almost clearly, as if I was becoming familiar with other people now.

They all stopped and turned to look at me, making me shrink inside my clothes once again.

"She can… talk?"

Kiba snorted, Akamaru barking after he finished his sentence.

Shino shrugged, "At least we know she isn't mute. Come on; I'm eager to spar against you, Kiba. You've improved."

The walk to the grassy field where she had met Lee only about an hour or so earlier was nearly silent, except for Kiba and Shino talking occasionally.

Hinata led me to a tree at the edge of the clearing and said to the other two, "When you're ready, you can begin."

"_I wonder what 'training' is…?"_

But when Kiba charged toward Shino, I knew. They were going to fight. The thought and sight of it unnerved me. It reminded me of what life was like back home when she went to school.

The girls in my school would always gang up on me because I never talked and I was constantly alone. For whatever reason, though, they were jealous of the way this one boy, James, looked at me.

James was popular, all of the girls liked him, but I didn't. He was vile and cruel to others around him. I knew he only liked me because he thought I was an easy target… or a hard to hit target, depending on the way you look at it.

Endlessly, right before I left, he had tried to proposition me to do things with him and to him that I would rather not remember. For that, the girls, especially Tammy, a volleyball player, hated me with a burning passion.

All they did was make my life hell at school, _and_ at home. She and her 'group' would constantly follow me, steal my stuff, conspire against me… anything to scare me half to death. Only once had I gotten into a fist fight with Tammy, and she only won because her 'group' got 'scared' and all of them came at me at once.

"_Thank God I left that terrible place."_

I watched the ongoing fight between Shino and Kiba, when Hinata turned to me.

"So, Talia… the other girls and myself were going to have a girl's night out type of thing, and I think it'd be fun if you went with us. I'll introduce you… and we'll have a blast!"

Honestly, I couldn't refuse. Wherever I came from… Konoha was a much better place than that hellhole.

I nodded to her, feeling some form of a smile creep up my face, but that's when a crash could be heard.

Akamaru's head was hung as Kiba had gone flying into a nearby tree and had cracked the thing.

"Damn… you've gotten better, too!"

Shino shrugged, "However, you have to work on your defense. You left so many openings that it wasn't even worth dodging _your_ attacks."

I was mortified; did Shino just hurt his friend willingly? Why was he just talking to him when he could need immediate medical attention?!

Before I could do anything, though, Hinata said, "That was some good Taijutsu, Shino. You _have_ improved! Kiba… well…" She let out a small laugh, not even bothering to finish her sentence.

The rest of the day, I watched the three of them spar until the sun almost touched the tips of the trees, signaling that it was almost evening.

When we all decided to split up, Hinata and I walked until I managed to mutter;

"I live at… Kakashi's house. Go there if… if you need me…"

Hinata nodded, "I'll be over with the girls in a little!"

She smiled and ran off, as well as Kiba, Akamaru and Shino had split up somewhere else.

I walked back to Kakashi's house, feeling grateful for remembering where it was.

"_Maybe when Hinata comes over… maybe then I'll be able to purge myself of shyness… once and for all. Maybe even get courage to talk to… Kiba."_

My face was engulfed in a blush that I quickly shook off as I entered Kakashi's house, made myself a snack, and laid down on the couch to doze off for a moment.

**Three Hours Later**

There was a knock on the door.

Instantly, I shot up, feeling energized.

"_I'll try to make new friends… I promise."_

As I opened the door, the first one I saw was Hinata, who was flanked by a blonde-haired girl with blue eyes, Sakura, and a girl with two buns in her hair.

"Hey; is it ok if we have a girls night out at _your_ place?!" The blonde one asked.

"…_Looks like it might be harder than I thought."_

* * *

Sorry I haven't uploaded any other stories! This one is stuck in my head and I'm just hammering stuff out like a machine D: I liked this chapter a bit, especially toward the end :) How will the GNO turn out? We'll see… Rate/Review!


	5. Spies and Hostages

_Flashback:_

_As I opened the door, the first one I saw was Hinata, who was flanked by a blonde-haired girl with blue eyes, Sakura, and a girl with two buns in her hair._

"_Hey; is it ok if we have a girl's night out at your place?!" The blonde one asked._

"…_Looks like it might be harder than I thought."_

Chapter 5: Spies and Hostages

The girls piled into Kakashi's place, and all I could think of was trying to get myself to say at _least_ ONE word.

The blonde one was jumping up and down.

"My name is Ino Yamanaka! My parents own the flower shop that's down the street from here!"

I nodded, and the brown-haired one with two buns in her hair smiled at me.

"I'm Tenten, Konoha's number one weapons specialist. Nice to meet you."

She held out her hand, and I willed myself to shake it, but… I couldn't.

"Oh… you're shy… we'll change all of that tonight!"

Ino was jumping around still as she took a seat on the couch that I was napping on earlier.

"We're going to play a game… truth or dare."

We all sat down on the three couches in Kakashi's living room.

Hinata turned to Ino, "Since you suggested that we play this game, we'll start with you. Truth or dare?"

Without hesitating, Ino laughed, "Dare."

Sakura spoke up without letting Hinata do anything.

"I dare you to cut off your ponytail, Ino-pig."

I watched her face become horrified as she screeched, "Ugh! I _knew_ you would do this, Sakura! I hate you!"

"What should be her punishment if she doesn't?"

Tenten asked a question that all of us thought about for a moment.

"I've got it! You have to admit that you like Naruto."

Sakura was on a roll today, but I couldn't help but notice that Hinata got really red in the face when the sentence was said.

"Damn it! Fine. I like Naruto. There."

Ino looked absolutely furious, and Ino glared at Sakura, "Smart ass. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Damn it!"

Ino looked like she was about to pull her hair out now, and that's when it got kind of quiet because we were all thinking.

"Ah! Is it true that you and Lee have something going on…?"

Ino was smirking, and Sakura's face turned nearly as pink as her hair.

"…Not… like that! I mean… we've known each other for like three years! It's not like that but…"

"Wow… we all know you like him."

Tenten looked bored, and Sakura stopped talking.

"Speaking of liking people… who do _you guys_ like?!" Sakura retaliated, and everyone stopped for a moment.

Hinata's face was ridiculously red, making me want to ask what was up, but she muttered, "You all know who I like…"

The other three girls just nodded and said, simultaneously, "Naruto."

"_Woah… wait… Hinata and NARUTO?! From what I know, he's WAY too… I don't know. Loud, I guess."_

I was kind of shocked, honestly.

Tenten was next.

"You know… my teammate?"

Everyone looked confused, especially me.

"_Teammates? Is that what they call 'friends'?"_

But Sakura got a little pink again. "You don't mean… Lee?"

Tenten shook her head wildly, "No, no! Not even close! Neji is who I meant."

Everyone turned to Ino, who shrugged, "Um… I've known Shikamaru for a while, and… Sai is ok…"

Sakura looked at me, a weird smile on her face.

"Have you seen anyone that you think is good looking, or developed a crush yet?"

I felt my face become kind of ticklish, and all the girls started giggling.

"Who is it?"

Ino was begging me, but I didn't know what to say.

"_The one with the jacket, Kiba… I mean… I guess he's alright but… I don't know."_

I don't think I've ever crushed on anyone, so I can't tell you what it feels like, but if it makes you feel like everything you do around them is clumsy, and you feel weird every time someone mentions them, then I guess you can say that there was something special about him.

"N…no one…"

"Don't bullshit us, Talia."

Tenten's hands were on her hips as she stood up.

"We're girls, just like you. We _know_ when you're lying. It's ok to admit that you like someone."

I shook my head.

"I've… only been here for… half a day…"

Hinata sighed.

"I guess we'll find out in due-"

"Wait a minute."

Sakura looked thoughtful, but that's when she snapped her fingers, looking quite devious.

"Remember when we all got summoned to Lady Tsunade's office earlier? Well, Naruto told me that he and 'the guys' were having a get together training match at the training field. Maybe we can spy! It'll help with _our_ training as well!"

"Not to mention… the guys!" Ino's eyes were sparkling. "Maybe they'll be working out!"

Tenten shrugged, "And _maybe _we'll uncover Talia's secret crush…"

I felt another blush come on.

"I… don't like… anyone…"

Hinata grabbed my arm as Sakura laughed, "Then maybe you'll see someone that you like."

"_I hope not…"_

Before I knew it, we were out of the door and walking down the street. Tenten was acting as the lookout, scoping out behind us, and Sakura and Ino took the front.

"We _should_ be clear…"

"Hey! Sakura!"

The voice made all of us turn, and when I saw a familiar dash of blonde hair coming toward us, Sakura screamed the order.

"RUN!"

We all complied, running toward the entrance to the village, and stopped in a shop to catch our breath.

"Damn, Naruto."

Ino looked pissed off.

"Why do you like him, Hinata?!"

"Don't even get her started, Ino…"

Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Let's keep going."

Hinata looked determined.

"Naruto is usually late to stuff like that, so if we hurry to the training field, we'll see him go over there."

I was pulled along for a minute, until we returned to the field with the river across it; the one that I hung out with Hinata, Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino at earlier.

There were a few guys standing around, and I recognized Kiba and Akamaru straight away.

"…Why do they always stand around like that?"

Ino asked.

"I dunno. It seems like they're waiting for something."

But suddenly, a boy with really long brown hair and eyes that resembled Hinata's moved, and Shikamaru shrugged.

"You blinked."

"…Damn."

Hinata sighed.

"…Why is Neji always ending up in the most idiotic situations?"

Tenten glared at her.

"I know he's your cousin, but don't say anything bad about him in front of me. Not only is he my teammate, but he's also my-"

"True love?"

Hinata was smiling almost sheepishly at the bun-haired girl, and I almost laughed at Tenten's angry face.

Before anything else could happen between us girls, Naruto came running into the clearing.

A black haired one that, in my opinion, showed _way_ too much skin asked.

"Where have you been? We've been waiting for like fifteen minutes."

"Ok, shut up, Sai! I was walking here, and I saw the girls walking somewhere, so I tried to follow them… but… well… I lost them."

It was silent for a moment, until a chubby one muttered.

"Naruto… why are you so dumb?! We're here to spar against each other, not chase after girls."

"At least I burn my calories…" I heard Naruto say it, but it suddenly got eerily quiet.

All of the girls gasped, Ino muttering, "He did _not…_"

Shikamaru walked over to the two.

"Choji… chill out. Naruto is just mad because he knows we can get girls but he can't."

"WHAT?! That's not true! He's too fa-"

Before he could finish the sentence, he earned a quick blow to the stomach from Shikamaru.

"Anyway, c'mon! Let's spar. That's what we're here for instead of spying like normal."

Sakura growled, rolling up her glove.

"I _knew_ they spied on us!"

Tenten stood up, "I'll give them a piece of my-"

But Sakura pulled her back down.

"Don't give us away…"

Kiba was speaking, and I honestly couldn't help but stare.

"_I SUPPOSE he's good looking, I mean… um…"_

I felt myself bite my lip, trying to stop the thoughts from flooding into my brain, but it obviously didn't work in time.

Tenten turned to me.

"Oh… I guess we're going to have to see where this goes, huh, ladies?"

She appeared to try to trace my gaze, but before she could do anything, Kiba and Neji stepped forward.

"Continuing from yesterday… Kiba vs. Neji. Are there any objections to this match?"

Shikamaru appeared to be calling the shots, and Naruto raised his hand.

"Both of them are assholes, so…"

But Akamaru rushed over there and grabbed Naruto's leg in his teeth, spinning him until the poor kid fell onto the grassy ground, looking wounded.

"Dumbass."

Kiba muttered as Akamaru walked back over to him, giving the dog a pat on the head.

"_Aww… I wish I had a dog…"_

"Start whenever you're ready."

Shikamaru shrugged as everyone backed away from them, and the fight began to ensue.

I couldn't help but flinch every time they threw a punch, and honestly, I was hoping that Kiba would win.

"Byakugan!"

The white-eyed one said, and instantly his eyes became sharper, and the veins on the side of his head popped out with what seemed like effort.

"_He's going to pop a vessel in his eye and go blind…"_

I flinched again when Kiba landed a cruel blow to said Neji's head.

"_Why do they fight like this…?"_

But suddenly, Neji's head jerked in the direction of us, and he stopped fighting, seeming to stare right at us.

"_At least he can't see us. We're well hidden by the underbrush."_

But everyone else seemed worried.

"We've gotta get out of here!" Tenten whispered, and with that, all of us ran for it.

However, though, I'm not really the one with the highest stamina, and I slowed down, watching the others get farther ahead of me.

But that's when I felt my arms be twisted behind me.

"I guess we could use the information you have… we'll take you as a hostage."

I turned to see Kiba and Akamaru standing behind me, ever so close. I can't describe what he looked like, but it was almost as if he was hungry and there was his favorite meal on the table.

I'm rather disappointed to say that I allowed him to drag me back to the 'training field', and I was interrogated.

"What were you _girls_ doing, watching us on a day like this?"

The one called Neji was doing the talking. I had been bound by ropes and was sitting on the ground.

"_I refuse to answer any of his questions. Not that I could, anyway…"_

I stared back at him, and he crossed his arms across his chest, looking rather annoyed now.

"So… what were you hoping to gain? Training tips?"

I kept staring.

"_This could be easier than I thought."_

But it took a turn down a road that I would rather not venture.

"Looks like talking to you won't work. I'm going to have to _make_ you tell us your information forcefully."

"_Oh no…"_

I closed my eyes, trying to prepare myself for the pain that I thought was coming, but Naruto had spoken up in my defense.

"Neji… she's not a ninja."

But he refused to listen, to my disappointment as I opened my eyes to stare into his.

"Get ready…"

But a figure stood in front of me.

"She isn't a ninja, Neji. Listen for once, will you? If you use anything on her, you'll actually hurt her."

I recognized his voice. My face was now engulfed in an uncontrollable blush as I tried to look away.

"_I could have taken it."_

My cocky, overconfident side, which rarely made an appearance in my psyche, was coming out.

Kiba had walked a full one hundred and eighty degrees around me and suddenly, the hold on me by the rope was loosened enough that it fell from my tiny body.

"There."

His voice kind of mesmerized me; I sat there, brain-dead, for a few moments, unable to think or process anything that was happening around me.

"_Why is this happening to me?"_

That was my first thought as I slowly regained consciousness to the world around me.

"You're ok, right?"

Naruto was now staring down at me, and I nodded, standing up shakily.

Shikamaru looked almost bored as his arms laid, carelessly, behind his head.

"…Are we going to spar or what?"

"Yeah, sure. Whenever you're ready, Kiba."

Neji's eyes kind of intimidated me; they looked like Hinata's, sure, but… they were different. Almost… sharper, meaner, angrier…

I shivered in my skin, and began to walk away, as not to get in the way with the fight.

"You know… Neji, I think I'll just let you win this time."

His voice again.

"_Stop it. He'll never like you; you don't talk, and I'm sure for someone who looks like him, there are LOADS of girls waiting in line."_

"Hey,"

Kiba was in front of me now; the abnormal red triangles on his cheeks were dark with the setting sun, and Akamaru's tongue was lolling out of the side of his mouth in what seemed like exhaustion.

"Since you're a civilian… how about I walk you home?"

Those words ricocheted in my head. This was the first time anyone had _ever_ thought about walking _me_ home. I mean… it was different.

"_He wants to walk me back to Kakashi's place?"_

All I could do was stare back at him, my brain-dead-ness coming back, but he snapped me out of it as he smiled.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'. I'll be back, guys." Kiba had turned to the other guys, and turned back to me as he and Akamaru walked side-by-side next to me.

We began walking out of the clearing, when the girls could be seen trying to be sneaky and hiding behind a bush.

"_Is that what… WE looked like earlier?!"_

I almost couldn't keep the laughter inside, but when they realized who I was with, I could see Ino's mouth drop dramatically.

"So,"

Kiba turned to me as we turned down the familiar road that led to Konoha, despite my aching legs.

"Your name is Talia. That's a different one; I haven't heard of a name like that."

"…T-thanks…"

My hushed reply escaped from my wretched lips again.

He looked down at me and smiled.

"Heh, you're welcome. So, while you guys were spying on us, did you see me kicking Neji's ass?!"

"_He's so cocky…"_

I stared at him for a moment after I nodded, and he was laughing now, assuming a pose that was similar to Shikamaru's.

"You girls were having a girl's night, weren't you?"

My face felt as if it was on fire.

"How… did you…?"

He shrugged, not allowing me to finish my sentence.

"Those four always spy on us… just like we spy on them. It's kind of a life-for-a-life thing."

I was fascinated.

"_I didn't know having a social life would be so much work."_

So fascinated, in fact, that I felt a rock beneath my foot a little too late, and I fell forward ungracefully.

"Are you ok?!"

I could hear his voice above me, and strong arms pulled me up, despite the fact that I very well could have helped myself up.

"…You're bleeding."

Kiba whispered, staring down at my lower leg. I looked down, too, and, low and behold, I was.

"_This pain is nothing."_

I remembered all of the skull-splitting punched I received, and the cut on my leg didn't hurt a bit. The blood was rolling down my leg, and Kiba unzipped his jacket, revealing a green shirt so faded, it could have almost passed for a white shirt, and began to tear the bottom of it.

"_What is he doing…?"_

As soon as I asked myself the question, I knew. My face was, again, as red as the blood on my leg.

After Kiba had finished tearing his shirt, he knelt down to tie it around my leg.

"…W-why…?"

My tiny, helpless voice squeaked, and he looked up at me, standing up.

"I wouldn't want you to bleed out. Not the prettiest thing to see."

My breathing stopped suddenly as he grabbed me by my waist and hoisted me onto Akamaru's back.

I bit my lip, wondering what I would do next, but he just smiled at me.

"I wouldn't want that leg of yours to get worse."

"_Is he… insulting me because I'm a 'civilian' and I can't help but get hurt, or is he genuinely worried about me?"_

I tried to mentally ask myself the question, but I was brain-dead again. Not that it mattered anyway; he was _talking_ to me…

After a long moment of venturing into Konoha again and heading near the street that Kakashi lived on.

"Talia…"

Kiba had turned to me again.

"Is it ok… if I call you… Lia?"

"…Why?"

My voice was loud and clear this time, and he smirked.

"Well, it'll be easier to remember."

His eyes bore into mine, and before I could go all dreamy-eyed, he asked,

"Lia, why are your eyes that way?"

My eyes were an odd color; almost green, but a touch of blue to even it out.

"…I… um…"

"_Just say it; they say I have my mother's eyes. It's not that hard."_

But everything that had to do with my mother was locked up in a box I stored in the back of my mind, never to be opened, and when it was, tears always spilled from my eyes. No one has ever seen me do that, though.

I couldn't say it.

My eyes exploded with feeling, and Kiba stopped, lifting me from Akamaru's back.

I was only half-conscious of the whole thing, mainly because I couldn't stop crying long enough to think, but I was also cursing myself out.

After a moment, I took a moment to assess the situation. I was standing up, I'm sure, but… something wasn't right. It was as if I wasn't using my weight to stand. Kiba's jacket was pressed closely to my face, and I could hear a slow, steady sound.

My tears stopped flowing when I realized he was holding me, closer than anyone has ever been to me before.

"I'm sorry if I said something that hurt your feelings, Lia."

He murmured, softly.

I backed away, on impulse, and cursed myself for it.

"_It was nice,"_ I admitted to myself.

Kiba was smiling back down at me, "Let's go."

It was only a matter of moments when we reached Kakashi's doorstep.

He looked at me as I opened the door.

"It was nice meeting you, Lia."

His smile was even kinder than before, making me almost want to hide my face, in fear that he might see the blush.

"…Y-you… too…"

He laughed, "Maybe I'll help you with your shyness later!"

Before I could say anything, he was gone, with Akamaru, down the streets. I was about to close the door, but Hinata and the others were approaching from not too far away.

"Yeah, I'm kinda fifty-fifty about Sai or Shikamaru," Ino was talking.

"_They didn't see anything."_ I was relieved.

"Hey, Talia! Did you and Kiba have a nice walk back?"

But I couldn't hear her. Kiba was staring back at us from down the street. I could see him. But, with a small smile on his face, he turned around and he and Akamaru disappeared.

"Talia! Are you ignoring us?!"

Ino's impatient voice asked me.

"N-no… I-I was just…"

"Never mind that! Is _Kiba_ the one that we've been trying to figure out about this entire time?"

I shook my head, and we went back and forth for a while, them trying to get me to reveal any 'secrets' I had, and me trying to defend myself.

"Fine. We'll find out tomorrow. Best girl's night out so far, guys!"

Tenten was the first to leave the residence.

Next was Ino.

Then Sakura.

Hinata remained.

"Good luck with him; I'm sure he'll like you back."

She murmured this with such confidence, such knowingness, that I didn't even bother to answer as she left.

I walked up the stairs, hitting my poor leg on the last step, making the piece of Kiba's shirt get darker with more blood.

My room wasn't far, and when I fell onto the bed, all I could think was, _"He saw me cry."_

* * *

Long chapter, huh? Yeah, I KNOW; update your other stories! Chillax, I will! As soon as I finish these! ;D Also, school starts tomorrow, so I won't update as often. D: I know. Anyway, find it in your hearts to rate/review! People like me appreciate it xD Yes, I do read them. Rate/Review :)


	6. The Second Day

_Flashback:_

_I walked up the stairs, hitting my poor leg on the last step, making the piece of Kiba's shirt get darker with more blood._

_My room wasn't far, and when I fell onto the bed, all I could think was, "He saw me cry."_

Chapter 6: The Second Day

I woke up to a cloudy day, but it wasn't as if it was about to rain. Every once in a while, the sun would come out, but it was pretty cloudy.

Everything that had happened yesterday came almost flooding back, and I remembered how Kiba had seen me cry.

"_Weak."_

I was angry at myself; I had made myself look weak and fragile.

Angrily getting done with getting ready to be socially acceptable, I walked downstairs to see Iruka on the couch, watching a sappy soap opera.

"_Oh yeah… Iruka is here because Kakashi asked him to…"_

He wiped his tears away, and when he saw her, he said, "Naruto was looking for you. He's probably outside somewhere."

Without giving whatever Iruka was crying about a second thought, I walked away and over to the door to see Naruto sitting on Kakashi's porch.

"Talia!"

He jumped up, almost bowling me over because the porch was a bit on the small side for both of us standing there, and he jumped up and down.

"Are you ok?!"

I nodded, saying mentally, _"I'm fine…?"_

My conscience was confused as well, and he looked at me with concern.

"Kiba came back to us all depressed because he said he made you cry, and I didn't want to disturb you or anything last night. But after that, he wouldn't shut up about you! He kept telling us every little detail over and over again… I think he likes you."

Naruto's sheepish smile got to me as I stared at him.

"_Liar."_

I shook my head, trying to form words to tell him, but I couldn't.

"Aww, don't be so modest!"

Naruto hit me on the back hard, making me almost fall forward as he continued;

"I really think so! He's never talked about any _other_ girl that way."

"_Kiba… liking me? Why?"_

I was confused. Why would someone as outgoing as him like someone as anti-social as me? What would the point of that be? No matter how hard you try, you can't change me.

Naruto was smiling all weird now.

"Anyway, I have a… a question."

I nodded to him, showing him that he could pretty much ask me whatever he wanted, and he fired away:

"…Do you know… if Sakura… likes me?! You know, when you guys had that girl's night?! I figured, you know, since you're kind of like a spy for me and everything…"

"…Who said I… was… a… s-spy?"

My voice came out quiet, but my mind was not.

"_A spy?! Who the hell told him that?! I'm not telling him something like that! Treacherous."_

He sighed.

"I guess Sakura will never like me. I'll never have a girlfriend and be destined to be forever alone like Shino!"

I almost smiled when I saw his eyes tear up dramatically.

"I have to know! Please, Talia, tell me!"

Shaking my head, I tried to walk in front of him, but he grabbed me by my shoulder, reminding me of my home life for a split second.

Out of habit, I pulled away and began gradually backing up.

Naruto must have noticed something was up, because he stopped.

"What's up, Talia?"

His blue eyes were wide in confusion, and I willed my body to obey the will of my brain and walk back to Naruto like any normal person would, but it refused to listen.

He took a step toward me.

"Something wrong?"

That's when my body seemed to get the message, and I walked back to him.

We continued on in silence, although I was really just following him, until he came across Sakura again.

"Sakura!"

Naruto ran to her, but received a punch to the cheek.

"…_What'd he do to make her punch him?"_

I flinched when he hit the ground.

"Sakura! What's up?! I didn't even _do_ anything today…"

"You don't understand!"

Sakura sounded beyond angry, even though I couldn't see her face.

"That Ino was being a _whore_ and… it's too hard to explain…"

"C'mon, Sakura… you can tell me!"

Naruto's friendly smile proved too much to resist, and she whispered,

"She took… all of my… fucking… _tampons! _She threw them all away so I would have to go through the terrible horror of buying new ones at the store!"

"But… Sakura… can't you just go to a _female_ cashier?"

I backed away as Naruto got a beating that would rival the ones I used to get.

"_Idiot! I don't want them to know what SIZE I have! They'll judge me!"_

Her screaming voice could probably be heard from every corner in Konoha.

"_Naruto's a good friend, but he REALLY has to stop pissing Sakura off if he EVER wants ANY chance of her having interest in him, and if he wants his face to stay the way it is for more than a week."_

I kept walking, wandering the village, when I saw a blue cape. It was only a flash of it, and she heard a small, annoying voice:

"Get out of the way!"

A kid with a cool haircut went speeding by with a blue cape, looking significant to Naruto in a way, and his two friends ran after him, screaming for him to stop.

I smiled for a moment, and kept walking.

"_Life here is definitely more carefree."_

The trees were swaying with the slight wind, and I couldn't help but smile when I saw clouds in the sky.

"It is a beautiful day, isn't it, Neji?!"

A very punctual voice could be heard from behind me, and I turned to see Lee with Hinata's cousin, Neji, walking toward where I was standing.

When Lee and I locked eyes, he ran to me.

"Ah! You are Naruto and Sakura's friend, am I right?!"

I nodded shakily; he still kind of intimidated me.

Neji was no better; his eyes were still pretty sharp as he stared at me, but I couldn't tell if he was looking me in the eyes or if he was looking past me, because his eyes have no pupils.

"I believe we've met."

Was all that he'd say.

"_How pompous can you get?!"_

I stared at him, and managed to swallow my thoughts and nod curtly to him.

"_How could Tenten think of him as… attractive?"_

"Stop staring at me."

Neji's eyebrows creased for a moment, making him look kind of mad.

I looked away mumbling.

"S-sorry."

His eyes went from angry to confused, and Lee whipped out his thumbs-up, making me flinch again.

"I… um… I'm looking… for someone… I-I'll… leave… bye…"

I hated my voice and my word choice as I sprinted down the streets.

"_Why would I say that I'm looking for someone? There's no one I'm looking for."_

My 'destiny' side kicked in.

"_Maybe, on the inside, you wish you could find him."_

It only made my face become covered in a blush, and I raced to the beautiful training field, where I would be able to stare at the water that was running through the river there.

Once there, the sun rays warmed my face, and I felt the wind in my hair.

"Things can't get any better than this, can they?"

Kiba was across the river, laying down on Akamaru with Shino standing up near him.

"Kiba, don't be lazy; we have to train."

"Shino, please,"

Kiba was standing up now, as he stretched.

"Chill out. Give me five minutes."

I didn't know what to do; did he see me? Was he talking to me when I first noticed he was there?

If I moved, I'd be done for, they'd definitely see me. But if I stayed put, there'd be less of a chance they'd see me. But it was too late; Shino looked up, and I tried to pretend I saw something interesting, but soon I wasn't pretending.

There were fish in this river, and it wasn't going fast enough to take them away on the current if they didn't swim. They were bright, different colors. Never before have I seen anything like them in my life.

"Talia."

Shino was speaking to me.

I tore my eyes from the beautiful fish to stare at him, and he nodded.

"Hello."

"_He's just TOO creepy."_

I almost shivered as I tried to say hi, but I failed because my voice came out as absolutely nothing.

"_Why do I always have to act like I don't know what the hell I'm doing when I'm around him?!"_

Kiba was now standing up and looking at me.

"Woah; hey, Lia!"

Automatically, he jumped into the river, it being halfway up his thighs, (or, in my terms, barely past my naval) and waded toward me.

The fish swam away and he was looking up at me with annoyance in his face.

"Shino and I were just sparring again. We were using Ninjutsu this time."

"You're just mad because you lost,"

Shino was still standing in place, next to Akamaru.

"Shut up, Shino."

Kiba turned to his friend furiously, making a smile light my face for a moment.

"…I made you smile."

He was staring at me. I'm talking staring-straight-into-your-soul-and-can-see-every-mistake-you've-ever-made at me. However, I couldn't find conflict in what he said. He _did_ make me smile.

"Do it again."

Kiba looked interested, like he wanted to see/know more than I was already showing/telling him.

"…_I can't smile on queue!"_

My face turned to a frown the more I thought about it, and he sighed, "Looks like I'm gonna have to take you up on that promise right now."

I was confused. What promise?

"I'll help you take care of your shyness, Lia!"

Shino looked pretty pissed off as he just up and left, making Akamaru bark at Kiba.

"Ok, first test; pet Akamaru without flinching for one minute."

He motioned for me to follow him, and I walked through the river. He appeared behind me only a moment later, and I was confused as to how he looked.

"…How… are…you n-not… wet?"

He wasn't, and I swear it was the most confusing moment of my life right there.

Kiba seemed to answer promptly, though.

"Chakra allows me to walk on water by applying the right amount of power on it… but, uh, you can't do that, can you?"

I shook my head, and he held out his hand for me.

"If we're gonna get you to trust people, we're gonna have to get through a lot of different things together. You're gonna walk with me."

My stomach tied itself in knots, and I was about to refuse, but he took my hand, lifting me up.

"Let's go, Lia. I promise I'm not going to fuck it up."

His smile was caring, and it honestly got me to do whatever he wanted.

I was standing at the edge of the river, biting my lip.

"_What if I fall in?! How clumsy can I get around him?! It's horrific!"_

Kiba took a step, balancing perfectly on the water.

"Ok. Just take a step. If you fall, I'll pull you back up. Nothing to be worried about."

"_There's absolutely PLENTY to be worried about…"_

I took a deep breath and took a step, waiting for me to fall straight in, but I never did. My foot was resting on top of the water.

Kiba was smiling down at me.

"See? Told you; you're not going to fall."

Almost simultaneously, we both took our second steps.

Then our third.

Then our fifth.

Then our eighth.

It was finally the last of the steps, and I was beyond happy. I felt a small smile light up my face.

"_I did it… I didn't flinch doing this, so I won't flinch when I pet Akamaru!"_

Kiba was smiling down at her, and when they were both on the ground, he motioned to his dog.

"Go ahead."

I stepped ahead, hesitantly.

"_No matter WHAT I say, this dog is kind of intimidating."_

I laid my hand on top of his head, and the dog's head fell in my lap as I sank to the floor.

"I knew it."

Kiba appeared to be talking to himself, and when I turned to see what it may be about, it was nothing.

He was glaring into space, but when I tilted my head, he smiled at me.

"I guess this concludes Shyness Training number one! Um… and I'm sorry for not asking earlier, but _can_ I help you with this, right? You know, you're shyness?"

I can't explain the look on his face. It was as if he was hiding something, but it wasn't bad, like he stole something. It was more like he had a surprise and couldn't wait to show me.

"S-sure…"

I squeaked, and he smiled at me again.

"Good, because I'd probably do it anyway."

The way he said those words sent shivers up my spine. His eyes became nearly irresistible, with their normal, hard-looking demeanor vanishing before her eyes and becoming joyful.

"I…I want… to make you happy, Lia."

The unnecessary line was uttered, and I had no idea what had possessed him to say such a thing. He looked away for a moment, then met her eyes again, almost as if he was begging.

"…_That's cute…"_

I felt myself connecting to him as a person, and he smiled widely.

"_It must have taken some guts to say something like that to me."_

What the hell was I doing? We had only just met, and I was already getting these weird… feelings… for him?! What's up with that?!

Like I said before; I've never crushed on anyone. Having ties to people hurts you when those ties are strained. But this… to have it happen so fast…

He took my hand again, kneeling next to Akamaru and I.

"He seems to like you."

"Y-yeah…"

Kiba laughed for only a brief moment.

"Aww. It's not very often that he takes to people so quickly."

I could feel his warm breath on my neck, and I knew he was only inches away.

"_What do I do…?!"_

"Kiba! Urgent mission! We've gotta go."

Hinata's voice could be heard from what seemed like ten billion miles away.

Kiba suddenly stopped breathing and dropped her hand.

"See you later, Lia…"

After hugging her from behind, he took off to his urgent mission with his comrades, jumping through trees.

"_Do I have what it takes… to get him to feel the same way I feel about him?"_

* * *

Aww. Ok. Check out my profile; I was disregarding my freaking schedule again! School started and I'm exhausted. Ok. Nothing else to say except RATE/REVIEW! :)


	7. Finding Me

_Flashback:_

"_See you later, Lia…"_

_After hugging her from behind, he took off to his urgent mission with his comrades, jumping through trees._

"_Do I have what it takes… to get him to feel the same way I feel about him?"_

Chapter 7: Finding Me

I didn't know what to do now. I was extremely confused as to what Kiba was about to do.

Before I could have thought about it, Naruto and Sakura came at me really fast.

"Where's Kiba?! I just saw him!"

Naruto looked so pissed off, and Sakura was rubbing her head, looking irritated.

"Apparently, Naruto suddenly got all fired up about training with him or something…"

But I was starting to walk away, wondering where exactly Kiba went.

"Hey, Talia! Where the hell are you going?! Wait up!"

Naruto's now-annoying voice wasn't too far behind me, and I ran to hide behind a tree really fast. He and Sakura walked right by, and I avoided them enough so I could follow the direction of which he was going.

"_Toward those huge gates. Yeah, that's it."_

I walked to them, and I was looking behind my back at all times.

"_It's not like they're going to sneak up on you or something…"_

But I thought too soon.

"You're thinking about trying to follow him, aren't you?"

I whipped around and saw Hinata standing there.

"D-didn't you… weren't… you…?"

"Our mission was actually to find a certain civilian and bring her to Lady Tsunade."

"_She means me…"_

All I had to do was nod, and I followed her back to the huge red building. It was mainly silent, except for the short conversation we had about the mission that they apparently had to do.

Once in the huge building, there were more rooms than I had expected. There was everything from the hospital, to individual offices, but Hinata led me to the very top.

"Lady Tsunade, it's me."

The door opened, and an extremely busty woman was sitting in a chair, writing something down.

"Ah, good work, Hinata. Talia Yamazaki,"

She was addressing me now.

"Kakashi's mission failed, so he should be back late tonight, for one. For two, though…"

Her eyes wandered to the door behind me, which one of the two men who were in the office closed, and turned back to me.

"I just wanted to tell you… that you're here because Konoha knew there was a threat to your life, of course you know that, and we'll make sure that he never comes here. You're completely safe here."

I nodded, secretly relieved.

"_That's one thing that I don't have to worry about."_

With that, she smiled and Hinata and I were escorted out of the room.

Once outside, she turned to me, the sun making her skin a little pale.

"So… am I right? You like him, don't you?"

Again, my breath caught in my throat. How she knew was beyond me; feelings were something that I liked to keep at a minimum, and when people knew about them… it made me nervous.

She smiled at me before I could answer.

"I see the way your face gets when you see him or you think about him."

"_My face… changes?"_

I tried to open my mouth, but a voice interrupted me.

"Talia! Damn, where'd you go?!"

"_Naruto! Shit!"_

"I'll leave… you… to… Naruto…"

I stammered, making Hinata blush at the sight of the blonde haired ninja behind me.

With that, I was out of there.

Everything was passing me by in a blur, and I could swear I went halfway across the village. I passed many, many people, there were lots of different places to eat and sit, and by the time I stopped, I was ready to sleep.

Eventually, I walked over to a bench and found somewhere outside of what seemed like a restaurant to sit down.

"_Life in Konoha… it truly IS relaxing. I've made friends, it's almost always nice here, and… my feelings…"_

My hand slipped up to the left side of my neck, where I could still feel his breath tickling against my neck.

"_My feelings are… out of control…"_

"There you are."

Shino had appeared in front of her, and his facial expression didn't depict anything joyful.

"Lady Tsunade is-"

"Lady Tsunade already found her, Shino."

"_Why does he keep finding me?!"_

Kiba had been standing behind her, a weird look on his face. It's hard to describe; it was as if he didn't want to talk to Shino, though, because of the intensity of the glare on his face.

Akamaru was standing beside him, as always, without making much noise.

"Yes…"

Shino shrugged, walking away.

"I'm going to see if there's an _actual_ mission I can do."

That left me alone with _him_.

"_What is it; the way he makes me feel so different… I don't know…"_

"Lia, heh, guess we get to see each other again!"

I stared at him for a moment.

"…_What is it about him?"_

"Hello?! Lia?!"

He leaned in really close to my face, looking quite interested.

"C'mon! Let's go get something to eat! I'm starving!"

Kiba grabbed my arm, making my entire face feel as though it was on fire.

"_Damn. How do I get rid of these feelings?!"_

We walked down the quiet road together, Kiba's grip on my arm almost restricting the blood flowing through it stop.

"So, Lia… heh, do you think we should get dumplings or BBQ?"

I couldn't answer that question because I was too busy staring at his face. He looked, honestly, a little different. Like he wouldn't want to be anywhere except with me.

"_Don't be silly,"_ I told myself. _"He's only being friendly."_

Deep in thought, I didn't realize that I hadn't answered Kiba's question.

"…Lia?"

His voice was different now; softer, a lot more understanding.

"We'll just go to the dumplings place. It's closer to-"

Kiba hadn't finished his sentence. A woman, almost identical to him, was walking toward us with a _huge_ wolf-like dog with an eye patch.

"Ah, shit," Kiba muttered, grasping my arm with even more force than before as he pulled me into an alleyway.

"W-who… was… that?" My voice came out quietly, and I bit my lip.

"_She looked like…"_

"That was my mom."

Kiba's face looked, nonetheless, kinda pissed off as he thought about it for a moment.

"But it's not important. If she saw us, she'd probably just tell me to go train."

My mind began to wander back to the lady that had just passed us.

"_She DID look a lot like Kiba…"_

Kiba was staring at me.

"You look half-starved, Lia. Let's go: I'll buy you something to eat. After all, we're near the dumpling place, aren't we?"

The smile he gave me made me light up happily.

"_I hate these feelings, but… he makes me feel almost… confident in myself. This shyness… maybe he truly is the one who will make it disappear."_

* * *

Don't even get me started on how half-assed this chapter is… xD Ok, so I haven't updated shit for who knows how long. Sorry D: But it's because I'm on an editing spree. This will probably be the only update for a while, and I apologize! D: Enjoy my other stories though :) Rate/Review!


End file.
